Review: Salomon Départ 1.0

Groomers & Resort Skiing:

The Départ has a surfy vibe to it, but it’s also pretty stiff underfoot and has a tight turn radius, so you can lay them on edge and crank turns on hardpack. This is one of those skis that carves when you want, but you can break loose anytime. The stiffer underfoot section makes the radius feel long for 15m compared with say, a Line Chronic, which bends more underfoot, tightening the radius but that also adds a feeling of predictability and stability. The generous rocker makes them pivot easily in tight spots too.

"This ski was very playful I can see why everyone loves it. It has a very surfy vibe yet I was able to go edge to edge very quickly making fast turns and staying in control." - Asa France, ski tester.

"I loved the Salomon Départ 1.0! They were super fun on the groomers, given how fat they are, but they still managed to be playful and easy to get in the air. Probably are my favorite skis of the year so far." - Lisa Cormier, ski tester.

Powder & Mixed Conditions:

The most surprising aspect of the Départ, given its freestyle penchant, is how versatile it is. The pinned nose slices through choppy snow very adeptly and the stiffness makes it fairly stable in all conditions. There is enough rocker and width to make it a decent powder ski too. 

"From a pow lap in the dive, to high speed groomers all the way to swervy park laps. This is the only ski at ski test I would happily take anywhere & everywhere. The pointed nose adds extra surf for sure. Not a lot of skis that are true “everything” skis anymore but this one is." - Mark Valtr, ski tester.

Park & Jibbing:

The Départ isn’t so much a park ski as a newschool freestyle ski. It does well enough skied traditionally in the terrain park, but where it excels is for taking a new look at what the park and the wider mountain can offer a creative mind. Its quick radius is ideal for darting between features and skiing more than the regular lines. Its versatile shaping allows landing forward and switch all over the mountain and the strong backbone holds up well at speed. The stability of the ski is also a huge bonus, providing support in less than perfect landings.

Conclusion:

The Salomon Départ was one of our favorite park skis of the year, but we loved it equally well for all-mountain riding. These were one of the most popular skis during the whole Sunshine Village test week, with universally good feedback from all different types of skiers. We think just about anyone could enjoy the Départ 1.0 from traditional mountain skiers to park rats to backcountry freestylers. These are going to be very popular, and with good reason.